FDNA Telehealth launches telegenetics platform with advanced facial screening, connecting parents and families to genetic analysis from the comfort of their own home.
With over 400 million people in the world currently paused in a diagnostic journey or misdiagnosed, there is a pressing need for faster and more accurate genetic analysis that reaches patients and their families regardless of their location and proximity to genetic specialists. A misdiagnosis can slow down access to the care needed to help individuals and their families live with a rare genetic syndrome or disease.
FDNA’s AI platform seeks to revolutionize telegenetics and telemedicine with its new facial screening technology. Its automated facial analysis technology may speed up diagnosis for individuals with a suspected rare disease or genetic syndrome, and connect thousands of people to genetic specialists, speeding up diagnosis and treatment.
Founded in 2011, FDNA has helped clinicians, researchers, and genetic testing labs find answers for patients living globally with a rare disease. According to the company, FDNA’s next-generation phenotyping technology is currently being used by 70% of the world’s geneticists in over 130 countries. Having been used to help patients and their families understand more about their genomic makeup, FDNA Telehealth aims to bring this analysis to help patients in a non-clinical setting and enable patients and their families to access the technology directly.
The FDNA Telehealth platform is easy to use. The first step is to submit the patient information into the secure system. The next step is to upload an image of a face for analysis. The third step after this is to make an online appointment with a genetic expert. The process has been designed to be as easy as possible for non-medical professionals.
The way it works is, FDNA Telehealth’s AI platform screens an image of a face for genetic syndromes markers (and unique facial features associated with specific genetic syndromes, such as widely-spaced eyes/hypertelorism) and provides a report with potential syndrome-matches for a geneticist to review. The next step is to connect with one of FDNA Telehealth’s genetic counselors and geneticists from their network of over 7,500 worldwide. Telemedicine is leading the way in its drive to make healthcare and diagnostic tools, as well as specialist care and support, more accessible to more patients.
FDNA expresses that it is committed to make sure that the facial screening analysis offered is affordable, with in-network insurance coverage on its way. Ensuring that patients and their families can access the diagnostic tools necessary for a precise and confirmed diagnosis is very important and is the drive behind FDNA Telehealth’s technology.
According to FDNA, its facial analysis screening technology is currently used by over 10,000 hospitals, clinics, and labs. Hospitals and medical centers such as the Boston Children’s Hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Tufts Medical Center, SickKids, CHEO, and more. With the launch of the FDNA Telehealth platform, this technology is available to parents, patients, and everyone else who needs it.
FDNA hopes that this technology will provide a faster diagnosis for many rare genetic syndromes, such as Noonan syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Coffin-Siris syndrome, and more. Diagnosis can begin with just a single photo.
According to the company, to ensure privacy all images are de-identified by their technology, and for the analysis, a de-identified representation of the image is used. Patient privacy is a priority, and their telehealth solution is both HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
As we learn more about the causes and related symptoms of rare genetic syndromes, of which there are currently over 7,000 named and identified, the need to provide individuals and families with a confirmed diagnosis as quickly as possible becomes pressingly important. Too many families are stuck in a diagnostic journey, the average time of which can be over five years to confirm a diagnosis, or facing a misdiagnosis. Utilizing advanced AI facial screening technology, FDNA Telehealth looks to change that and improve outcomes for many at the same time.
A possible faster and more accurate genetic analysis via telehealth can now start with a single photo from the comfort of your own home.
